Longmont Parkinson's event aims to combat regression with exercise

Longmont resident Rich Lathrop was waving goodbye to family when he looked at his gnarled hand and realized something was wrong.

The rigid muscles in his fingers and hands were one of the first signs of Parkinson's disease that Lathrop noticed before his diagnosis about two years ago. And one of the symptoms that Lathrop, 69, still struggles with daily making it difficult to write, play his guitar and type.

"I used to be able to type 100 words a minute or more," Lathrop said. "And now, it's like a pecking operation, one key at a time."

Lathrop focused on stretching his hands and fingers Friday during group workouts at Longmont's first Parkinson's Warrior Event at the Ed and Ruth Lehman YMCA.

The event, which was hosted by the Life Care Center of Longmont, led about a dozen participants through exercises meant to slow, stop or reverse Parkinson's symptoms.

The Life Care Center hosts weekly exercise classes for Parkinson's patients and a biweekly graduate school that focuses on combining physical, cognitive and vocal workouts for all levels, said Hope Engel, an outpatient manager and physical therapist for the center.

All of the sessions build on the skills that patients develop during one-on-one therapy sessions, Engel said. But Friday's event targeted high-functioning patients who can draw from the workouts to build a personalized routine they can do on their own.

The Longmont event is the first of three workshops statewide, including one in Aurora on Aug. 22 and another in Littleton this fall, intended to combat Parkinson's symptoms through exercise, Engel said.

"The goal is to activate them during these workouts and then keep them motivated to keep doing it on their own," Engel said. "It's also building confidence for them to do it at home."

Friday's workshop began with an information session encouraging participants to develop a regular workout routine that combines physical and cognitive activities.

Participants spent the rest of the day in breakout sessions learning to reach bigger and speak louder.

John Dean, Parkinson's program coordinator for the Life Care Center, said the goal in every routine is to expand patients' movements and voices, which tend to wilt as the disease progresses.

"We want to recalibrate what how they think they should be moving or speaking," Dean said. "We're setting a new standard and, hopefully, creating new habits."

Sessions included a breathing class and a warm up that taught exaggerated, basic movements like stepping forward or back and reaching high and low — everything stretched to the max.

Throughout the day, movements became more challenging as instructors mixed up the order and added cognitive activities, such as counting and using colored dots to guide participants.

Lathrop is in good physical shape, keeping pace with group walking exercises and arm stretches. But at the end of his long arms, his fingers lack the same tension held in the rest of his body.

As Lathrop incorporates the full-body movements into his routine at home — which includes lifting weights, walking and writing exercises — the large stretches will help maintain his existing range and work against further regression in his hands. And maybe, one day, help Lathrop regain enough control to play his guitar again.

"It used to be natural, but now, I have to think about every cord," Lathrop said. "It's like learning to play all over again."

Rich Lathrop reaches down to touch a cone as he counts out loud in an exercise during the Parkinson's Warrior Event on Friday at the Ed & Ruth Lehman YMCA in Longmont. (Matthew Jonas / Longmont Times-Call)

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